


Enchanting

by Firelily13



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Fae Iruka, Fae politics, Half Fae Kakashi, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:26:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelily13/pseuds/Firelily13
Summary: Kakashi is on the run after his mission to acquire information in the Winter Court is compromised. Wandering the forest alone and on the brink of death he meets Iruka, a solitary fae who has grown tired of the petty politics of the Courts.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 9
Kudos: 86





	1. Chapter 1

It was rather enchanting, the little space he carved out for himself among the dense underbrush and cool coastal air. Compared to the extravagant archways and glittering structures of the Spring Court, his quaint stilted house among the trees paled in comparison. Despite this there was an odd sort of serenity to the calls of the gulls nesting on the cliffs above the crashing waves, the feeling of damp soil beneath bare feet, the smell of salt and pine and rain touched foliage. There was an odd allure to it all. Like a siren song; beautiful, captivating and very, very deadly. Dangerous things resided in the ever-changing boundary between Summer and Winter, land and sea.

The mischievous creatures of the border were travelers least concern, though. The real threat was the ancient magic that lingered on the wind, rose with the tide, and permeated the very earth itself. It was a magic that was there long before Iruka ever stepped foot on the land and would no doubt maintain it's hold on the region long after he'd gone.

Kakashi had been wandering for days. Or was it weeks? Maybe it had only been a few hours. It was so hard to tell anymore. Just when he thought he was almost free of the tangled branches and the shifting mists he would find himself back where he started. Combine being hopelessly lost and injured with the fact that he was being tailed by very pissed off fae, Kakashi didn’t think his current situation could get any worse. But it appeared that whatever malicious deity had been listening was determined to deliver yet another swift kick to Kakashi’s balls.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice asked, soft and mischievous. “It’s not very often that I get visitors.”

Kakashi was growing more exhausted by the minute, the forest around him becoming blurred as sleep threatened to overtake him. He wasn’t sure when he decided that laying on the cool, damp forest floor was a good idea, but here he was, looking up at the dense canopy, mist seeping through his tattered clothes. He felt lighter, like he was floating on a glassy lake.

“You humans really are more trouble than you’re worth,” the voice chimed again, as a face came into view, deep brown eyes staring down at him with mild annoyance. The last thing Kakashi saw before slipping into darkness were those captivating brown eyes.

He was charming, that much was certain. And from what little Iruka could see of his face, supposed that he was also rather attractive. He had silver hair and a long, jagged scar running the length of the left side of his face, a cloth mask hiding the lower part. Who knows how long the man had been wandering, injured the way he was; it was no surprise he had collapsed the way he had. Iruka quickly examined the deep gash that cut its way across the other man’s shoulder. It had stopped bleeding some time ago and had begun to stitch itself together. However, judging from the redness and swelling it appeared infected. As Iruka continued his examination it became abundantly clear what—or rather who— had caused the injuries. As he continued, he determined that the man also had several broken ribs, and at least two other wounds that had become infected.

Gingerly Iruka lifted the unconscious man from the ground and onto his back. He began to treat the man’s injuries once they had arrived back at Iruka’s home. Reopening, flushing, and bandaging the infected cuts, resetting the broken ribs, and cleaning some of the smaller, less worrisome abrasions took the better part of two hours. Just as Iruka began to finish applying a healing ointment to a smaller cut, the man stirred.

“W-who…” He rasped, struggling to sit upright. 

Iruka hushed him, presenting a glass of water, “Don’t move so fast. You had three broken ribs and a pretty nasty laceration on your right side. So, unless you want me to have to stitch you up again, I suggest you take it easy. They certainly had it out for you. You’d be dead on the forest floor if I hadn’t shown up when I did,” Iruka said confidently, crossing his arms over his chest. He watched intently as the man pulled down the mask that covered his face and took a long drink from the glass, noting his lack of apprehension in accepting the drink. He certainly was attractive, defined jaw, small beauty mark on his chin, several smaller, fainter scars cut across the lower portion of his face.

“Where are we?” The man asked, looking around the room, scanning for exits and potential danger.

“You’re dry, warm, and very much alive; what more do you want?”

“Than—,” The man began, but before he could get the words out Iruka put a hand over his mouth.

“Careful now, if you had finished that sentence, I just might have had to keep you here,” Iruka said ominously, his brown eyes glittering mischievously in the fading daylight. 

“Can you at least tell me your name?”

“No,” Iruka said simply, before leaving the room.

Kakashi was dumbfounded. The last thing he remembered was wandering through the forest. He had been injured by a fae, Winter Court if he remembered correctly. He had been so tired, so weak he had collapsed on the forest floor. Now here he was, in an unknown location, with an unknown man, who Kakashi was certain was fae. 

The other man returned a few moments later, a wooden bowl in his hands, blowing strands of long brown hair out of his face.

“Eat,” he ordered, handing the bowl to Kakashi.

Kakashi eyed him suspiciously. 

“If I was going to poison you, you’d be dead already,” the man said, nodding to the partial glass of water sitting next to Kakashi. “Besides, I don’t make a habit of keeping humans as pets.”

Kakashi begrudgingly took the bowl.

“Are you humans always so suspicious?”

“I’m not human,” Kakashi responded coldly.

The fae shrugged, sitting in a wooden chair by the window, “You’re close enough that it doesn’t really make a difference.”

He wasn’t wrong; Kakashi only had only half fae ancestry on his mother’s side. It was imperceptible to most, and most days not even he noticed the distinct hum of magic coursing through him. It came with some benefits like a prolonged life, some magical aptitude, and the ability to slip between both worlds mostly unnoticed. 

“It does beg a question: why were the fae of Winter after you? Not that I make a habit of involving myself in the affairs of the courts.”

Kakashi didn’t answer. Minato was dead and his cover compromised and now he was on the Winter Court’s Most Wanted list. But Kakashi didn’t plan on telling a stranger this. No matter how incredibly beautiful he was, with his long hair and intricate braids, sly glint in his deep brown eyes, and his tanned skin that…

“Hasn’t anyone told you that staring is rude?”

Kakashi snapped his gaze away, finding that his hands were far more interesting. He shifted uncomfortably, wincing in pain as the movement seemed to aggravate the injury on his side. 

The fae stood, noticing Kakashi’s discomfort. “You’ll be safe here. Orochimaru’s minions don’t dare travel this far from the border.” He pushed Kakashi’s arm out of the way, carefully examining the bandaged wound.

“I don’t even know where here is.”

The brown-haired man continued to poke and prod at Kakashi’s side as he spoke, “We are just on the border between the Summer and Winter realms. You need to be more careful. These stitches can only withstand so much,” the man chastised.

“You mean you didn’t use magic to patch me up? How… quaint.”

The fae put pressure on Kakashi’s side, just enough to send a fleeting pain through his side, “I’m not a healer. You aren’t bleeding out so show some gratitude.”

Kakashi huffed in response, as the man redressed his wound.

“You're welcome to stay until you’re healed,but I have three requests.”

Kakashi nodded wordlessly.

“First, don’t ever walk the forest alone. There are things out there far nastier than I. Second, if I don’t offer it to you, do not _under any circumstances_ eat or drink anything. And last, the most important thing, never thank me. Not unless you fancy being indebted to me for the rest of your life.”

“Why are you helping me anyway?”

“Call it morbid curiosity, nothing more,” the fae man responded, rewrapping Kakashi’s side. “Stop squirming.”

“You do know what they say about curiosity and the cat?”

The other man shrugged nonchalantly, “Well, my mother always said I had a way of finding trouble.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good god it sure took me long enough to get this chapter written. Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy.

“The sea is restless,” Iruka commented offhandedly noting the way the water churned beneath the cliffs. His house guest had been hovering all afternoon, not saying much, which frankly was more unsettling than him attempting to make small talk.

It had been two weeks since Iruka found the man nearly dead on the forest floor and most of his superficial injuries had healed. The man continued to be a nuisance. It was as though he enjoyed directly defying Iruka. _Don’t wander the forest alone_ , Iruka had told him very explicitly. And yet as soon as he was able to walk on his own, he had gotten himself lost. He wasn’t far, just a mile or so away from Iruka’s home, but Iruka would be lying if he didn’t find the panicked look on his face immensely entertaining. _Don’t eat things not given to you directly by myself_ , Iruka had requested reasonably. Several days after his excursion in the forest, Iruka found the man crouched near his garden eating a wild strawberry from the bush. He spent the better part of the next few days in bed sick. On top of it, all the man continued to ask inane questions: _where are we? How safe is it? How often do you get visitors? Are you going to divulge extremely sensitive information that could give me an extraordinary hold over you?_ Iruka found the whole situation to be tiresome.

The man nodded in agreement, “It’s like there’s too much magic in one space. And it’s struggling to find an escape.”

“Very observant,” Iruka teased as he stood from his small garden plot, brushing his hands off on the green apron tied around his waist. “Some people say it’s because of where the land sits. That the raw power of the thrashing ocean acts like a conductor, and when it gathers too much energy the power has to go somewhere.” 

“And what do you say?”

“Why bother with the tedious whys and hows? Does it not suffice to simply say that it is?”

“It suffices sure. But it’s not very exciting.”

“And hypothetically speaking, suppose I said that the first person to set foot on this land was cursed, and when he settled here the land became saturated with the tainted magic. And suppose I said that after the man died there were fae clans that spent generations attempting to restore even a fraction of the land to its former state, but all of them died out or were forced to become refugees because of conflict between the courts. Would that be more exciting for you?”

“That doesn’t sound very hypothetical.”

“Gods you are a nuisance!” Iruka snapped, turning to face the other man, “Who cares what is or isn’t true? Regardless, we are going to fabricate our own truth. Our minds aren’t as reliable as we’d like to believe. You’d do well to remember that.”

The man shifted under Iruka’s gaze, “What aren’t you telling me?”

Iruka groaned, marching into the forest, “Fine. Follow me if you care so much.”

The further they traveled into the dense trees the heavier the magic felt. The lively green foliage abruptly became charred and necrotic encroaching on the lush greenery. Crystalline pools became nearly sludge-like with blackened ooze. The sounds of the forest also ceased. There were no birds chirping in the trees, no foxes chasing rabbits through the dense forest floor, no rushing water, no wind, nothing. Just the soft sound of crunching charred branches and the sound of their breathing.

“Is this _exciting_ enough for you?” Iruka asked, his voice sharp and scathing as he gestured around him, “Does the failure of my clan bring you some twisted satisfaction?”

Iruka let the question hang heavy in the air before continuing, “We were a small clan and we belonged to no court. The only allegiance we had was to each other. After that demon attacked the area my family settled down here. They spent their entire lives working to restore what had been destroyed in the attack. And then the petty lords went to war, and my family was caught in the crossfire. Those who were spared were forced to flee. In the end, this was as far as they got.”

Iruka knelt at the base of a splintered tree, placing a hand on the mangled bark as he funneled magic into it. Slowly the blackened wood beneath his fingers healed, giving way to new growth.

“They should have known from the beginning that trying to restore this forest was a fool’s errand. The magic of the demon fox is resilient. Healing even a single blade of grass takes a considerable amount of time. More time than any of them had. In another century or so the entire forest will look just like this.”

Iruka pulled his hand away from the tree and almost immediately the necrotic parts of the trunk began to encroach on what he had healed moments ago.

“I’m sorry,” the other man muttered.

“No you’re not. You say you’re sorry out of a sense of obligation, not out of any real remorse for what occurred here.”

“Do you really think so little of me?”

“I don’t think of you at all. I don’t even know you.” It was cruel and Iruka knew it. “In fact, I would prefer it if you were healed and on your way, back to wherever you came from. But seeing as how you have no sense of direction and there is still a chance of your injuries becoming infected again, I’m stuck with you.”

“If I recall I never asked for your help. I would have preferred to die in that forest. But it seems in true fae fashion you just had to meddle in affairs that were not your own.”

Iruka went silent, something wasn’t right. They weren’t alone.

“I really hate to interrupt this lovely little marital spat, but the mutt is coming with me.”

“Mizuki,” Iruka growled, his jaw clenched.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went much smoother than the last, which is a relief. I only had to rewrite this chapter once XD. Enjoy! And thank you to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos thus far it really means a lot.

“Iruka,” Mizuki drawled, the air becoming saturated with magic, causing a shiver to run down Iruka’s spine. Names were like currency in the fae world; knowing someone’s name gave you influence over them, though not at first, of course. No, like with most things concerning the fae, one wouldn’t realize the hold the fae has on them until it was too late.

“How lovely to see you again, my friend.”

“You know damn well we aren’t friends, Mizuki. Now get out of here before I gut you on the forest floor and let the scavengers feast on your rotting corpse.”

“Always so hostile toward me. I simply come to deliver a message, an invitation really.” He glanced past Iruka, eyes landing on the man leaning casually against a tree.

“You can shove your invitation,” Iruka spat.

With a leer, Mizuki began to circle, like a mountain lion toying with its prey.

“Did you know you’re harboring a fugitive?” As he came to face Iruka once again, he ghosted his hand on Iruka’s cheek. “I wonder what Lord Orochimaru would have to say about this.”

“Not a damn thing.” Iruka’s voice was controlled and calm. If it were anyone else, it might lull them into a sense of safety, but not Mizuki. Mizuki had to learn everything the hard way. “If you remember correctly, which I don’t expect you to with your tiny brain, Orochimaru and I had an agreement.”

Mizuki growled in response.

“I let his men pass through unburdened and in return they leave me alone. Judging from the stupid look on your face, you do know what I’m talking about. And you also know that as part of this lovely little agreement, anyone who steps foot beyond the predetermined boundaries are under my jurisdiction. And guess where we are?” Iruka said, gesturing wildly around him, “Within those boundaries.”

“Duty dictates that I…” Mizuki sputtered, going from annoyed to shocked to downright pissed off in a matter of seconds.

“You and I both know you don’t give a damn about duty.”

Iruka always had a knack for pushing people’s buttons. He had a way of finding a weakness, a fear, an insecurity, and picking away at it until the other person was a broken mess. Yeah, he had a knack for breaking things, and it seemed he chipped away at Mizuki just enough to send him into a rage.

He lunged forward, trying to weasel past Iruka to the man who stood leaning against the charred tree who still looked only mildly interested in what was going on in front of him.

Luckily, Iruka was quick and knew Mizuki like a child knows a nursery rhyme. He reached out, catching Mizuki by the collar of his shirt, heaving him back and delivering a swift blow to his chin, the bones cracking under the impact.

“Leave. Now,” Iruka said forcefully, tossing Mizuki to the ground.

“You broke my fucking jaw!” He slurred, as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“A broken jaw will be the least of your worries if you don’t get out of here. Or do you want me to tell Orochimaru that you, one of his most trusted advisors, violated a binding contract?”

“You’ll pay for this.”

“Yes, you’re very fond of saying that, and yet you don’t seem to be able to follow through. Oh, and tell your Lord Orochimaru he’ll see me in a weeks' time.”

“Make sure you bring the mutt with you. I’m sure the court would love to see how you tamed the hound.” Before Iruka could respond Mizuki was gone in a torrent of leaves.

“That was impressive.”

“I didn’t do it to impress you,” Iruka muttered as he started off toward his home.

“Iruka is it?” The other man asked genuinely, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “It’s a good name.”

Iruka slowed before stopping entirely, swearing under his breath, “I didn’t ask for your opinion.” He didn’t hate the way his name sounded coming from the other man. It was said with near reverence, like a monk chanting away in his temple. It was nice, not that Iruka would ever admit it out loud.

“Though,” Iruka began, albeit begrudgingly, “I suppose I can’t keep referring to you as human. Or I could start calling you mutt.”

“I would rather you didn’t,” the man scoffed. “You can call me Kakashi.”

Iruka stared, like he was turning the name over in his head, committing it to memory. The almost electric charge that filled the air when a true name was invoked was alarmingly faint. It was there, sure, but it was little more than background noise dampened by disuse.

Kakashi knew that offering a fae his name was a supremely bad idea. But it seemed this whole mission of his was colored by supremely bad ideas. He also knew that giving his name on its own wasn’t enough. A fae’s influence needed time to take root, like a newly planted tree, or a particularly nasty infection. But it was a start, like leaving your door unlocked and hoping that bandits didn’t rob you blind.

“That’s not your true name,” Iruka said offhandedly, not that he particularly cared whether it was his true name or not.

“That’s the name my father gave me.”

“Just because it’s your given name doesn’t mean it’s your true name. I could say my name is Ikkaku but there would be nothing tied to it. No emotions, no memories, just a name.”

Kakashi paused, deep in thought. He was right of course; a fae was rarely wrong about these things. There were few who called him Kakashi anymore. He was Hound: a mindless tool of the Summer Court sent to do the bidding of those who were ambivalent to his existence at best. He was lucky they let him live after his father…..

“We should go before it gets dark,” Iruka said, snapping Kakashi from his darkening thoughts.

“Iruka,” Kakashi began, as Iruka poured them each a cup of tea. “Something has been bothering me. This agreement you have with Orochimaru, what does it entail?”

The fae was quiet a moment, taking a long sip from his drink before rubbing the scar stretched across his nose.

“It’s complicated and not very exciting.”

“Explain it to me anyway.”

Iruka sighed, “The agreement was struck a long time ago between my clan and the surrounding kingdoms after the war. This became neutral territory and both sides were able to move freely back and forth. My clan negotiated that the swath of land from the coast to the edge of the scarred forest would be our territory and ours alone. With my clan gone and the land slowly dying, it’s easy to see who came out ahead in this deal,” he said bitterly. “It’s more of a formality than anything, anymore. But you know the fae courts, they hoard treaties and contracts like a dragon stows away gold.”

Kakashi nodded in agreement, taking a sip from his own tea.

“Now, I have some questions of my own.”

“Is that so?” Kakashi mused, resting his head in his hands.

“Mizuki said you were a fugitive. What did you do to earn a title like that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he responded coyly.

Iruka leaned forward, mirroring Kakashi’s posture, “I would. I’ve divulged quite a bit of rather personal information you see. Including my name, so it’s only fair that I get a story in return.”

“It might take a while.”

“Lucky for you, then. I seem to have a rather abundant amount of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up the rating might change later, as the story progresses. This was not my original intent, but it seems the characters had other plans. And a big thank you to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos thus far it really means a lot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nervous laughter* So I know it's been a hot minute since I've updated but I'm not dead and neither is this fic. Hopefully future updates won't take me like 8 months. I hope everyone enjoys.

Kakashi shifted uncomfortably in his chair, observing the fae across from him, his brown eyes glimmering with curiosity and something else Kakashi couldn’t quite put his finger on. The sun outside had set, casting the forest in suffocating shadow.  
“I was on a very classified mission for the Summer Court,” he began, “I can’t tell you the details, for what I hope are obvious reasons.”  
Iruka nodded, taking note of the very dramatic shift in tone. Kakashi who, from what Iruka could surmise based on the limited time he had spent with the man, was by all rights rather informal—his tone bored and lazy and he had that nearly permanent slouch of his shoulders—but this was far different from what Iruka had seen previously. He sat at attention, his gaze sharper as he observed Iruka. Taking in his expression, his body language, the tiniest of details and committing them to memory. His voice was stern and business-like, commanding respect in a way that even the best military leaders could only dream of.   
It was impressive. Iruka was compelled to listen by sheer force of presence alone, and yet there was that ever-present part of him, the rebellious part, that longed to challenge whatever authority Kakashi thought he had.   
“I let my guard down, became too comfortable,” Kakashi said bitterly. “I was found out, and my mission was compromised. So, I ran.”   
“And you scurried your way, half-dead mind you, to my door. You would have been better off letting them catch you,” Iruka chided. “Do you know what happens if they catch you now? They lock you up in an interrogation cell, where you will inevitably be tortured, and then probably be left to rot provided they don’t kill you first.”  
“And suppose I had let them take me to begin with, and suppose they decided to let me go. I would have returned home a failure.”   
“And now you could return home in a casket!” Iruka snapped. “Honestly, what do you suppose the old man would have done if you did return? In his eyes, you are expendable. He would have exiled you at worst. Is that really so bad? At least then you could do what you want.” Iruka’s voice softened by the end, his brown eyes searching Kakashi’s face.   
“It is if you have a contract.” The way he said it was so matter of fact, like he was haggling with a shop keeper and hadn’t said he was eternally indebted to the Summer Court. It wasn’t unusual for half fae to have contracts with various court officials. What was unusual however, was the fact that Kakashi seemed completely unbothered by it. He said it with such candor and near pride that it made Iruka shudder at the thought of how much brain washing had occurred deep within the walls of the palace.   
But he wasn’t wrong. A contract broken in that way, broken by disobedience or betrayal or anything other than the holder of the contract formally ending the partnership, often left the other party a complete mess. Iruka had heard stories of both humans and fae going nearly catatonic after a contract ended like this. Those were extreme cases in which the affected person had been under the contract for so long that they could scarcely remember life before the pact was forged and it drove them to insanity.   
Iruka narrowed his eyes, searching Kakashi’s face. Searching for what, he didn’t know, but whatever it was he couldn’t find it. In the short time Iruka had known Kakashi, he knew that the man was a hard read at the best of times and this was no different. He was guarded and distant but even Iruka could tell he was hiding behind a carefully constructed veil of humor and indifference.   
“Before you ask any more questions, I have to make one thing perfectly clear; I cannot and will not discuss the details of my contract.”   
Iruka leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest mumbling quietly, “how on earth did you get yourself into a contract like that? Getting lost in their forest no doubt.”  
How long had he been under this contract? What were the terms? It was clear there was a geas involved, but to what extent? Who was the patron that he was indebted to? Iruka mulled over the questions in his head. His knowledge of the courts was limited, but there were a few organizations that often took up contracts with half fae.   
“What do you suppose Orochimaru wants?” Kakashi asked finally, breaking the tense silence, redirecting Iruka’s attention to something other than dissecting Kakashi’s murky past.   
“I suspect it’s time to renegotiate the terms of our border agreement. As I said, it’s a formality. However, Mizuki most certainly told him of your whereabouts which makes things more…complicated.”   
“Mizuki; what do you know about him?”   
“More than I would ever care to,” Iruka sneered all too eager to throw his former lover to the wolves. “He’s a bastard. Used to be a low-ranking official of the Summer Court. He defected some years ago to take up with Orochimaru.”   
Kakashi was quiet a moment, scanning Iruka’s face. The hurt and anger was painfully obvious, it radiated off him like a raging fire emits heat. Iruka was truly an open book. An oddity among fae to be sure.  
Iruka sighed, his shoulders slumping, looking increasingly tired, “well then it seems to me we are going to be stuck with each other for some time. And here I thought I could be rid of you in a few more days.”   
“It appears fate had other plans.”   
Iruka chuckled. It was genuine and pure, like the first rain of spring and despite everything in his being telling him he should feel otherwise, Kakashi felt safe. He knew it was a bad idea to trust a fae, and that it very well would spell his end if things went wrong.  
“Perhaps. Now what are we going to do about our predicament?”  
“Our predicament?” He was going to regret this.   
“You have a mission to complete, yes? In which I have been made an accomplice, so by all rights, that makes it our predicament.”   
“Are you making a deal with me?”   
“Nothing quite so concrete,” Iruka mused, the same mischief flaring in his eyes. “The easiest way to ensure that the both of us return home is to make it seem like you’re under my command. They trust me to a point, and if I say you’re harmless, they’ll believe me.”   
“Can you be sure of it? What about Mizuki?”   
Iruka shivered, his face going grim, “There’s a good chance that he’ll be able to sniff out whatever fabricated truth we have going. But I have an idea.”   
“An idea, hmm? And what exactly is this idea you have stewing in that twisted little brain of yours?” Kakashi teased.   
“You sign a contract with me. Nothing terribly concrete and nothing that would interfere with your current agreements. It’s the only way to be sure we have our bases covered. Not even Orochimaru himself would question a binding contract.”   
“And what do you get out of this?”  
Iruka grinned, “Insurance. I have a feeling this isn’t going to be a pleasant catch up over tea and biscuits. And there are plenty of those in Orochimaru’s court that would have me hanged on the lawn of the castle, Mizuki included. So, what I’m proposing is less of a contract and more of a partnership. We get whatever information you needed for your mission, and in return, you ensure that I get to make it home in one piece.”   
“And that’s all you’re getting out of this? A body guard?” Kakashi said incredulously, his long fingers tracing nonsensical designs into the table.   
“Not quite,” Iruka glanced around the room. “Maybe I’ll tell you one day. But for now I’d rather keep that my little secret.”   
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, “What are the terms of this contract then?”   
“Humans, suspicious as always. I will allow you to draft the document to your liking. As an act of good faith. And then we can negotiate as needed.”   
“You seem to be placing a lot of trust in me.”   
Iruka pushed away from the table, leaning across it as he stood. His voice was low and almost dangerous, “Don’t mistake this for trust. I don’t trust you, just as you don’t trust me.”   
“What makes you think I don’t trust you?”   
“If you really trusted me you wouldn’t have gone for the silver knife you keep at your waist.”   
Iruka stood fully, a deceptively jovial smile tugging at his features but never quite reaching his eyes. “You’d be smart to keep that skepticism mutt,” Iruka chided as he sauntered past where Kakashi sat slightly dumbfounded.   
“You have a week to draft a contract. I’ll be waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geas: (As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary) A magically imposed obligation or prohibition.


End file.
